Dental anxiety among Wisma Lincoln University College community

Dental anxiety is common among people of all ages, which results in delay and avoidance of dental visit and eventually deterioration of oral health. The aim of this study is to assess the dental anxiety level among the community in Wisma Lincoln University College. A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to December 2018. A total of 186 participants were included in this study. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to assess participants’ dental anxiety level. The prevalence of participants with severe anxiety level was 16.7% (n=31), with Indian female being the highest number (n=6, 20%). Participants felt most anxious if they were to receive a local anesthetic injection, with a mean score of 2.04 for male and 3.76 for female. With regards to the aspects of dental treatment that make participants anxious, 74.7% (n=139) of the participants would feel anxious about extraction, followed by pain arising from treatment (63.4%, n=118) and fear of injury caused by dental instrument (60.8%, n=113). In conclusion, 16.7% of the community in Wisma Lincoln University College were highly anxious, with Indian female being most anxious (20%).

Comparative study for safety and efficacy of a novel folic acid formulation gel with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide paste in experimentally induced oral ulcer

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.1% novel folic acid gel in blunt dental instrument-induced oral ulcer in animal models (both rats and rabbits). Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Experimental Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University. Animals were randomly divided into three interventional groups, namely Group 1 (folic acid gel), Group 2 (triamcinolone oromucosal paste) and Group 3 (control). We created a linear oral ulcer of 5 mm with the blunt dental instrument in both rats and rabbits. Each group consists of 10 animals (6 rats + 4 rabbits). Group 1 received test drug 0.1% novel folic acid gel formulated by us, Group 2 was positive control and received standard local drug 0.1% Kenacort triamcinolone oromucosal paste and Group 3 served as a negative control group where no treatment was given. Results: No untoward reaction was observed on the irritancy test. Kruskal–Wallis test applied for comparison of results. After 1 week of post-ulcer induction, there was a marked improvement in healing of oral ulcers in both Group 1 and Group 2, but more statistically significant healing was seen in Group 1 (folic acid gel). Both Groups 1 and 2 showed steady improvement in the healing of oral ulcers as compared to their pre-treated values and again were more marked in Group 1. Conclusion: Local folic acid gel supplementation was safe and had shown to augment oral ulcer healing in rats and rabbit’s animal models.

Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT); dental instrument use and maintenance.

This chapter discusses the ten steps in the Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) and highlights the following: anaesthetic monitoring, patient and nurse positioning, and protection during COHATs; dental equipment arsenal; dental machine maintenance; and hand instrument maintenance.

An introduction to pet dental care: for veterinary nurses and technicians

This book contains 16 illustrated chapters on periodontal disease; comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT); dental instrument use and maintenance; dental charting, dental radiography and pain management; tooth fractures, discoloured teeth, abrasion and attrition; tooth resorption and caries; malocclusions; oral masses and cysts; stomatitis, feline juvenile gingivitis and contact mucositis; jaw fractures, temporomandibular joint luxation and avulsed and luxated teeth; common dental problems of rabbits, rodents and other small mammals; gaining client compliance, dental estimates and the dangers of anaesthesia-free dentistry; admitting, preparing and recovering dental patients and a day in the life of a pet receiving a COHAT; postoperative home care; developing dental home care programmes; how to brush the teeth of dogs and cats; understanding the science behind dental home care products and advocating for pet dental health. It aims to aims to bridge the gap that exists between current training for veterinary nurses in veterinary dentistry and what is required of veterinary practice.

CDC Consultations for Outbreaks and Infection Control Breaches Occurring in Dental Settings, 2010–2019

Background: Documented transmission of infectious agents involving dental care is uncommon. However, increasing attention to dental infection control, along with several recent outbreaks, have identified infection control gaps in dental settings. We describe CDC consultations involving outbreaks or infection control lapses occurring in dental settings to identify areas for prevention efforts. Methods: We reviewed internal CDC records from January 1, 2010, through October 1, 2019, to identify consultations involving investigations of potential or confirmed disease transmission and infection control lapses in dental settings. We determined yearly number of consultations, number of patients infected, how disease transmission or infection control breaches were identified, suspected mode of transmission, type of infection control breaches identified, and whether at-risk patients were notified. Results: We identified 41 consultations, among 27 states, involving investigation of possible disease transmission or infection control lapses in dental facilities. The number of consultations increased from 11 to 30 between the first half (2010–2014) and the second half (2015–2019) of the period and involved at least 113 infections confirmed or suspected to be associated with dental procedures. Most investigations (n = 29, 71%) began with identification of infection control breaches absent known patient infections; 8 (20%) investigations were initiated after identification of a single patient infection raised concerns for possible transmission associated with dental care (eg, single case of acute hepatitis B infection absent other risk factors). Moreover, 4 investigations involved >1 patient infection; 3 were outbreaks confirmed to be due to poor infection control practices. The most common infection control breaches were lapses in dental instrument reprocessing (n = 28, 78%), for example, failure to sterilize dental handpieces or failure to use biologic indicators. Of the 23 consultations where patient notification activities were discussed, 17 (74%) resulted in notification; >20,000 patients received information about their potential exposure, usually accompanied by advice on seeking screening tests. Conclusions: Dental-related consultations have increased in recent years, and they highlight the need for improved infection control training of dental healthcare personnel, especially related to dental instrument reprocessing. The CDC Division of Oral Health and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention offers tools, training, and other resources to help dental facilities improve infection control practices. Not all investigations resulted in notifying at-risk patients, but notification should be strongly considered, especially when serious breaches are identified, to promote transparency and help identify disease transmission that could otherwise go undetected.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

The Effect of Presto Cooker as an Alternative Sterilizer Device for Standard Dental Equipment

Introduction: In the suburb area of Indonesia, autoclaves as a sterilizer could not been used optimally due to inadequate electrical capacity. An alternative sterilizer such as a pressure cooker (presto) have been choosen because it has same principle as an autoclave, but it doesn’t required the electrical supply. Nevertheless, the procedure of presto in dentistry remain unclear. Objective: To obtain a standard procedure by using presto for dental instrument. Methods: The effect of presto was observed on aerobic (S. aureus ATCC 25923T), facultative anaerobes (S. mutans ATCC 25175T), anaerobes (P. gingivalis ATCC 33277T) and yeasts (C. albicans ATCC 10231T) which are exposed to the dental mirror. Each dental mirror (triplo) was dipped for 3 minutes on media containing bacteria (106 bacteria/ mL). Furthermore, the dental mirrors were cooked at presto (MAXIM, 7 L, Indonesia) which contained 500 mL of water, for 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Bacterial growth analysis were observed visually and microscopically after Gram staining. Results: In the S. aureus ATCC 25923T and C. albicans ATCC 10231T groups, up to 30 minutes the color of the media showed cloudy but remained clear when sterilized for 45 minutes. Likewise, these groups showed appereance of bacterial growth for 15-30 minutes but didn’t appear to grow in 45 minutes. While in the S. mutans ATCC 25175T and P. gingivalis ATCC 33277T groups, up to 15 minutes the color of the media showed cloudy but remained clear after being sterilized for 30 minutes. In addition, these groups showed appereance of bacterial growth for 15 minutes but absence in 30-45 minutes. Conclusion: Presto can be used as one of alternative equipment to sterilize dental instrument, effectively. The optimal killing time of bacteria and yeast was 45 minutes.

The Effect of Presto Cooker as an Alternative Sterilizer Device for Standard Dental Equipment

Introduction: In the suburb area of Indonesia, autoclaves as a sterilizer could not been used optimally due to inadequate electrical capacity. An alternative sterilizer such as a pressure cooker (presto) have been choosen because it has same principle as an autoclave, but it doesn’t required the electrical supply. Nevertheless, the procedure of presto in dentistry remain unclear. Objective: To obtain a standard procedure by using presto for dental instrument. Methods: The effect of presto was observed on aerobic (S. aureus ATCC 25923T), facultative anaerobes (S. mutans ATCC 25175T), anaerobes (P. gingivalis ATCC 33277T) and yeasts (C. albicans ATCC 10231T) which are exposed to the dental mirror. Each dental mirror (triplo) was dipped for 3 minutes on media containing bacteria (106 bacteria/ mL). Furthermore, the dental mirrors were cooked at presto (MAXIM, 7 L, Indonesia) which contained 500 mL of water, for 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Bacterial growth analysis were observed visually and microscopically after Gram staining. Results: In the S. aureus ATCC 25923T and C. albicans ATCC 10231T groups, up to 30 minutes the color of the media showed cloudy but remained clear when sterilized for 45 minutes. Likewise, these groups showed appereance of bacterial growth for 15-30 minutes but didn’t appear to grow in 45 minutes. While in the S. mutans ATCC 25175T and P. gingivalis ATCC 33277T groups, up to 15 minutes the color of the media showed cloudy but remained clear after being sterilized for 30 minutes. In addition, these groups showed appereance of bacterial growth for 15 minutes but absence in 30-45 minutes. Conclusion: Presto can be used as one of alternative equipment to sterilize dental instrument, effectively. The optimal killing time of bacteria and yeast was 45 minutes.

The experience of dental practices that use automatic washer disinfectors

Background: Understanding the collective sociotechnical experiences of the staff in dental practices with automatic washer disinfectors (AWDs) may help shape future strategies that encourage the transition towards best practice in dental instrument decontamination and reprocessing. Objectives: To find the emerging themes that reflect the experience of working with an AWD in dental practice. To compare the experience of practice owners to that of the dental nurses. Methods: A qualitative semi-structured interview-based methodology was applied using a convenience sample of dentists and dental nurses. Verbatim transcripts of audio recordings underwent thematic analysis. Results: Dental practice owners and dental nurses were interviewed. Four themes were common to both groups: impact on daily routine; mundane technology; the decontamination cycle; and safety. Three themes were unique to the dentists: impact on the business; professionalism; and external motivators for change. Discussion: AWDs are a mundane form of technology that dental nurses find simple to operate. The extended time it takes to reprocess instruments using an AWD means that dental nurses must adapt their daily working practices to accommodate this. Initial funding to purchase an AWD, especially where there is a professional expert leading a campaign championing their use, can be effective.